Motorboat



Dec. 30, 1941. H. SCOTT-PAINE MOTORBOAT Filed April 6, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Dec. 30, 1941. H. sco'r'r-PAlNE MOTORBOAT Filed April 6, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 %4M Ul/W PM Patented Dec. 30, 1941 MOTORBOAT Hubert Scott-Paine, Hythe, Southampton,

- England Application April 6, 1940, Serial No. 328,170 In Great Britain March 30, 1939 1 Claim.

This invention is for improvements in or relating to motor-boats and has for its object to provide an improved construction and arrangement of wheelhouse or superstructure which provides the maximum accommodation and utility in service within the minimum overall dimensions so that the boat has a low silhouette and is inconspicuous as a target.

This invention comprises, in a motor-boat, a construction of wheelhouse in which the floor and walls, or a part of the walls, are below the deck level, and the roof with or without a part of the walls is a streamlined water-tight structure above deck level, and in which a conning bridge is provided constituted by a cockpit in the form of a well which opens through the roof of the wheelhouse so as to provide a conning position which commands the whole of the boat, from which navigation, offensive and defensive action can be directed and the ship manoeuvred.

The wheelhouse can be entered directly by means of a companion in the side or hatch in its top, but when at sea it will normally be closed. The conning bridge is provided at its bottom or floor with scuppers leading to outside the wheelhouse, so that it can be cleared of water, and although the conning bridge is left open, the watertight closing of the wheelhouse and vessel is not impaired because access to the conning bridge is attained from inside the wheelhouse through a water-tight door. If desired, small openings may be provided in the upper part of the wall of the conning bridge for oral communication with the interior of the wheelhouse.

Preferably the floor of the conning bridge is somewhat higher than the floor of the wheelhouse so that a View is obtained over the roof of the wheelhouse and the command position above referred to is at a suitable elevation. Glazed or other transparent screens may be provided around the upper edge of the conning bridge.

One example of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a boat in accordance with the invention;

Figure 2 is a view on an enlarged scale of the wheelhouse and central part of the boat, taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 3; and

Figure 3 is a plan view of Figure 2 with part of the roof of the wheelhouse removed.

The boat shown is constructed so that the maximum headroom below the deck 9 is not substantially greater than the height of a man.

The wheelhouse I 2 consists of a roof I20 and walls l2a, l2b (Figure 2) together with a floor 13 and M. The floor l3 and I4 and the part Nb of the walls are below the level of the deck 9, and the roof [20 with the part l2a of the walls forms a streamlined structure above deck level. The wheelhouse thus projects above the deck about half of its internal height.

The wheelhouse has a conning bridge which is constituted by a cockpit 62 in the form of a well which opens through the roof of the wheelhouse so as to provide a conning position which commands the whole of the boat. The conning bridge is provided with a floor 52 which is above the level of the floor M of the wheelhouse and scuppers 61 in the floor 52 lead outside the wheelhouse so that the cockpit can be cleared of water and although the conning bridge is left open, the water-tight closing of the wheelhouse of the Vessel is not impaired.

Access to the conning bridge is attained from inside the wheelhouse through a watertight door 64 (Figure 3). If desired, small openings may be provided in the upper part of the wall of the conning bridge for oral communication with the interior of the wheelhouse and in this example openings and 6|, which will be referred to below, are provided respectively in the forward and aft walls of the cockpit.

Above the elevated floor 52 of the conning bridge is a step 10 from which a command position is obtained with a View over the roof of the wheelhouse in all directions, but at the same time, the low contour of the boat is retained. Glazed or other transparent screens 21 may be provided around the upper edge of the conning bridge.

The conning bridge is situated slightly aft of the forward end of the wheelhouse and the navigation and control instruments are situated in the part of the wheelhouse forward of the conning bridge. The coxswain is normally stationed at 66 (Figure 3) with the steering wheel on the port side of the wheelhouse forward of the conning bridge. A remote steering control I10 may be provided in the conning bridge.

A stairway is provided on the starboard side at the forward end giving access through the door 53 with the crews quarters which are below deck level in the space 2| forward of the bulkhead IT.

The roof of the wheelhouse slopes down at the forward end of the bridge and the sloping face is formed with windows 26. The cockpit has windows, or openings such as 60, of a height A chart table 63 is situated within the wheelhouse immediately aft of the conning bridge and communication is established by the opening 6| in the rear wall of the conning bridge.

The wheelhouse is of substantially less width than that of the vessel, so as to provide belowdeck accommodation which, whilst partly of reduced headroom under the floors I3, [4, is also partly of the full available headroom in the parts 51, 58.

Aft of the chart table, doorways and steps 54, 55 lead to the officers accommodation on one side and with the wireless operators cabin 58 on the other side. Thus, the navigating officer sitting at the chart table has immediate access and direct communication both with the wireless operator and with the command in th conning bridge.

Three watertight bulkheads l5, I6, I! are preferably provided below deck within the part of the boat which is covered by the wheelhouse. There are no watertight doors in these bulkheads and access to each of the compartments 2|, 56, 22 and 23 of the lower deck is possible through the wheelhouse. Access to the engine room 23 situated aft of the bulkhead I5 is obtained from the interior of the wheelhouse by an opening 56 formed partly in the bulkhead l5 and partly in a continuation of the deck extending from the bulkhead l5 to an instrument panel mounted in the aft part of the wheelhouse. Immediately behind the opening 56 is a soundproof bulkhead H. The aft part of the wheelhouse provides lighting and additional headroom in the engine room. A hatch 12 for access to the engine room directly from the after part of the deck may also be provided. If the compartment 22 is wholly utilised for fuel tanks no means of entry will normally be required, but if it should be desired to use this space for accommodation or stores, suitable steps'may be provided as for the spaces 51, 58. It will be appreciated, therefore, that access to any of the compartments 2|, 22, 23 or 56 may be obtained under cover without the necessity of going out on deck.

The forward part of the wheelhouse may be protected by an armour plate covering which extends the whole width of the wheelhouse aft beyond the after end of the conning bridge and a sliding roof may be arranged to cover the conning bridge if desired.

The conning bridge is preferably made of light metal sheet, but it may be easily detached and replaced by one of thicker armour-plate and may form an entirely enclosed citadel.

In transverse section the wheelhouse has well rounded corners above deck level and is preferably built with spaced laminated beams and with inner and outer skins of synthetic-glued plywood between which, in the spaces between the beams, a suitably stiff but light material of cellular constitution having good heat and sound insulating properties is used. This results in a structure having the maximum useful internal space coupled with great strength and lightness, and the Well rounded corners also ensure that the rearward vision from the conning position is restricted to the least possible extent. The radius of the rounded corner may be greater on the port side immediately aft of the 'conning bridge than elsewhere with the same object in view.

The structure of the wheelhouse above deck is made in three separate pieces, joined at the bulkheads l5 and I6; the two after parts are detachable separately to enable the engines to be lifted out of the engine room 23 or the fuel tanks out of the compartment 22. The separate parts may be butted one against the other and connected inside and outside by strips of fabric 13 and spaced gusset plates 14. To avoid disturbing the wiring and other instrument connections the instrument panel "Ill is preferably arranged to remain in position on the boats struc ture when the aftermost part of the wheelhouse is lifted off.

I claim:

In a motor boat, a hull having a deck provided amidships with an elongated opening which is wider at the forward end than at the after end, a water-tight deck-house covering the said elongated opening, a floor within the hull conforming generally to the shape of said elongated opening and located below the deck at a distance about equal to the height of the deck-house above the deck, walls extending from the deck at the boundaries of said opening to the edges of said floor, and an open cockpit in the form of a well arranged in the forward part of said deckhouse and opening through the roof thereof, the bottom of said well being higher than said floor, and means for steering said boat from withinthe cockpit and from within the deck-house.

HUBERT SCOTT-PAINE 

